


Out-of-Tune

by dasfreefree, imagine_that_haikyuu



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: F/M, Female!Reader - Freeform, Musicians, Reader-Insert, everyone's petty here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-09
Updated: 2020-06-28
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:21:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 7,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24628474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dasfreefree/pseuds/dasfreefree, https://archiveofourown.org/users/imagine_that_haikyuu/pseuds/imagine_that_haikyuu
Summary: It takes some piano-playing to get these boys to like you.
Relationships: Bokuto Koutarou/Reader, Iwaizumi Hajime/Reader, Kuroo Tetsurou/Reader, Nishinoya Yuu/Reader, Oikawa Tooru/Reader, Tendou Satori/Reader, Terushima Yuuji/Reader, Ushijima Wakatoshi/Reader
Comments: 3
Kudos: 162





	1. Oikawa

**Author's Note:**

> These scenarios were originally posted on November 5, 2016 to our [tumblr](https://imagine-that-haikyuu.tumblr.com/post/152790114483/hi-can-i-ask-about-oikawa-ushijima-iwaizumi-and). Some edits have been made since then.
> 
> Writer: Rachel Lauren
> 
> Anonymous asked: Hi! Can I ask about Oikawa, Ushijima, Iwaizumi and Kuroo, who has a girl in a class who they don't really like (I don't know... because she is mean, or too smart for them, or just... don't like) and then they see her when she plays the piano and think that she is someone totally else that they think she is? I really like your blog! And Happy Birthday!

He was only walking back from the restroom during lunch. The music room he always passed was empty on his way there as it usually was, but as he headed back to his classroom today, he was surprised to hear the sound of a gentle piano coming from the room. Naturally curious, Oikawa stopped in the doorway to observe the source of the beautiful music. The girl at the piano had their back face to him, posture perfect and delicate hands gliding over and pressing the keys with such ease.

There was always something completely entrancing about a girl playing the piano; it gave her a certain charm that Oikawa could never resist. Perhaps it was the amount of discipline it took to play with such skill that he could relate to that he found very attractive. He would be a fool to not and stay and listen, and give you the applause the you deserved when the piece was over. With quiet steps, he entered the room and sat in one of the chairs placed near the piano, but chose one that was still behind the girl. He needed to surprise her when she was finished. In his mind, she would turn around, gracefully startled by his presence.

When she finished playing the song, Oikawa clapped his hands together, offering a “Brava! That was beautiful.” She turned around at the sound of his voice and applause, smile bright.

“You flatter me. It’s a piece I just learned, so there were some mistakes.”

His smile wavered.

_You_? It was you of all the girls in the school it could have been? His eye twitched even as you thanked him, completely oblivious to his change in demeanor.

“Well, I don’t know a lot about music, so I couldn’t tell you if made any mistakes,” he replied. He almost added as, “But now that you mention it, I guess there were some blips in your playing” just because, but he held his tongue.

Maybe his reason for not liking you was something silly: when you were five you told him that his fly was down in front of the whole class instead of telling him privately and everyone laughed at him and he still hadn’t recovered twelve years later. He brought it up to Iwaizumi one time when he let it slip to his friend that he didn’t care for you, to which Iwaizumi responded, “I’m pretty sure you’re the only one who remembers that. How old are you really?”

“I’m quite surprised to see you here, Oikawa. I’ve always gotten the impression, even when we were kids, that you never liked me much,” you said. There was no trace of malice in your tone, mostly a genuine curiosity and wonder.

He knew he was being childish for still holding on to that bad experience, however minor it was. Given what you had just said to him, it was clear that you certainly did not recall embarrassing him in front of everyone. Oikawa let out a sigh and grinned at you. Maybe it was time to brush that twelve year chip off his shoulder. He was going to be an adult soon, after all.

“Are you going to play another piece?” he asked. “I’d like to stay and listen.”


	2. Ushijima

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These scenarios were originally posted on November 5, 2016 to our [tumblr](https://imagine-that-haikyuu.tumblr.com/post/152790114483/hi-can-i-ask-about-oikawa-ushijima-iwaizumi-and). Some edits have been made since then.
> 
> Writer: Rachel Lauren
> 
> Anonymous asked: Hi! Can I ask about Oikawa, Ushijima, Iwaizumi and Kuroo, who has a girl in a class who they don't really like (I don't know... because she is mean, or too smart for them, or just... don't like) and then they see her when she plays the piano and think that she is someone totally else that they think she is? I really like your blog! And Happy Birthday!

“Oh this is a very lovely, difficult piece. I’m impressed that someone so young has the skill and caliber to execute it so well.”

Ushijima’s eyes followed his aunt’s gaze over to the other side of the room. A girl was seated at the piano, hair swept up into a bun and donning a simple black dress. Her eyes, although focused on the instrument, had a dreamy look to them as she watched her hands over the keys. An older man placed a few bills in the glass bowl on top of the piano, and she nodded in thanks to him.

Somehow Ushijima found himself dressed in a suit for at important event for someone in his mother’s family. The party was grand, being held in one of the ballrooms of an upscale hotel, but he couldn’t recall what this party was for. His mother mentioned it but he hadn’t paid much attention when she called him about it. On any other occasion, he would have refused to go, and he did at first, —events like this were so frivolous and unnecessary—but he did have a few relatives on his mother’s side of the family that he liked and hadn’t seen since he was a child. That and his mother explained that his attendance was mandatory.

“When we were booking the place, the manager mentioned that the only musician available tonight would be a high school student from Shiratorizawa. At first, I was very concerned but if a venue such as this one hired a student, that could only mean she is a prodigy,” his aunt explained. Ushijima’s eyes were still fixed on the girl. “Perhaps you know her, Wakatoshi, since you both attend the same school.”

“She doesn’t look familiar,” he said immediately, attention back on the relatives he stood with. “There are many students at my school who I don’t know.”

The conversation drifted elsewhere about something he didn’t care for, so he excused himself to the bar to get a glass of water. The smooth jazz that had filled the ballroom before ended as the bartender readied a glass.

“Looks like it’s already break time for (L/N),” the man said, probably to his colleague tending to another guest. Still Ushijima caught his words, and raised an eyebrow: that name was familiar.

“Hozumi, could you fill my water bottle for me, please?”

Ushijima’s gaze shifted to the girl who was now standing next to him. She was the same one who had been playing the piano. She handed a refillable water bottle to the other bar tender and they spoke for a brief moment, laughing about something. He was ready to turn and find his seat at one of the tables as soon as his water was set in front of him, but her voice stopped him.

“Ushijima? Is that you?” she asked. “I should have guessed that the ‘Ushijima’ party I would be playing at tonight was somehow connected to you. I mean, the boys’ school uniforms are basically a suit, but you really look different in darker colors. Very sophisticated and mature.”

He stared down at her somewhat blankly. There was something familiar about the person in front of him; he must have seen her around campus at some point. She shifted uncomfortably from his silence and heavy glare, and pointed to herself. “(L/N)? We’re in the same class?”

His expression softened, as much as Ushijima’s heavy gaze could soften if he wasn’t smiling or laughing. “Yes, I know you. You also look very different tonight,” he answered.

It’s not that he particularly disliked you nor had you given him cause to do so, it’s just that you’ve never really stood out to him. Now that you were standing before him, he realized that he didn’t know anything about you besides your name. And now, of course, that you were an exceptional musician.

You asked him a few questions about the event, and he answered them rather curtly. You didn’t seem to mind his tone at all and he found that he actually enjoyed your presence. Even the silence between the two of you felt natural. Maybe it just had been pleasant to see someone he knew—even peripherally—outside of his family here.

“My break is almost up, but it was nice talking to you, Ushijima. I hope you enjoy the rest of the party and I’ll see you in class on Monday,” you said.

You clapped your water bottle shut and let it hang by the clip from your index finger. He watched you return to the piano and remove the white “On Break” placard from the top, tucking your dress under yourself as you took to the bench again. The light music filled the venue once again as your fingers pressed elegantly along the keys. Ushijima didn’t bring his wallet with him, but he managed to find an old bill folded up in one of his jacket pockets.

He approached the piano and placed the bill inside the tip bowl. You stared up at him as he did this, hands hovering just above the keyboard as the music paused for a split second. He gave a nod and walked off, leaving you shaking your head, but smiling at his gesture nonetheless.


	3. Iwaizumi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These scenarios were originally posted on November 5, 2016 to our [tumblr](https://imagine-that-haikyuu.tumblr.com/post/152790114483/hi-can-i-ask-about-oikawa-ushijima-iwaizumi-and). Some edits have been made since then.
> 
> Writer: Rachel Lauren
> 
> Anonymous asked: Hi! Can I ask about Oikawa, Ushijima, Iwaizumi and Kuroo, who has a girl in a class who they don't really like (I don't know... because she is mean, or too smart for them, or just... don't like) and then they see her when she plays the piano and think that she is someone totally else that they think she is? I really like your blog! And Happy Birthday!

Iwaizumi couldn’t recall why he disliked you. He had spoken with a few times in class, but you never came off to him as someone who was capable of being unkind. Well, it’s hard to gauge a person when you’ve only conversed a few times for pair or group work.

Ah, that was it! You were the type who didn’t pull your weight when it came working as a team. There were times where other group members didn’t contribute to the assignments either, but if they didn’t provide any ideas or content, they volunteered to at least be the group scribe or compile everyone’s work into finer presentations. You didn’t even do that unless you were assigned that role.

Iwaizumi felt some guilt for his aversion to you. After all, you hadn’t been cruel to anyone, just inconsiderate. Still, he never once observed any sort of remorse from you after the fact.

The only reason he thought about this was because he was taking a short break from a group assignment he had been working on, and you were in his group of course. At least it was the type of work that everyone could get away with doing their own parts for; trying to coordinate a time where everyone could meet up was a hassle.

Iwaizumi glanced around the coffee shop he sat in. It wasn’t crowded and the noise level was quite low save for the girl playing the keyboard off in a corner of the joint. He wouldn’t describe the music as being obtrusive either. Those delicate-sounding pop song covers actually added to the ambiance.

And the girl wasn’t bad-looking. He’d almost wished that he had picked a table closer to her when he got there just so he could glance her way from time-to-time, but she hadn’t come in until sometime after he did. Not that he was going to muster up the courage to start talking to her either way: flirting had never been Iwaizumi’s forte, at least according to his friends. Plus, he needed to focus on getting his part of the project done.

Just as he stood up to get another coffee and stretch his legs, one of the employees bounded up to the girl at the keyboard.

“Hey, (L/N), do you think you could play a song for me?” 

(L/N)? Now that they mentioned it, he did think that you looked similar to someone he knew. He felt embarrassed now, having made some harsh judgement about you without even being able to recognize you outside of school. Still, that wasn’t going to change anything. He shoved his hands in his pockets and started towards the counter.

“Sure, as long as I know the song. If not, I’ll need you to print the tabs for me. I can’t read them off a small phone screen,” you said. Catching the sight of the familiar figure who walked by, you cocked your head to the side. “Hm, Iwaizumi?”

He stopped walking and turned towards you. “Oh, hey,” he replied with a nod. There was a slight awkwardness to his air—the one he usually adopted when trying to talk to a cute girl—but you didn’t seem to pick up on it.

“I didn’t know you were here. I would have said something sooner.” Your smile was pleasant and, had it been coming from another girl, he would have been absolutely charmed. You looked over towards the table he had just been seated at, covered with pages of notes and a textbook. “Doing homework?”

“Ah, yeah…” he said hesitantly. This was why his friends made fun of him when he was around girls, well pretty girls. Not that you weren’t pretty, but given his past experiences with you, he couldn’t call you his type. Thankfully, you still weren’t able to pick up on his severe lack of charisma.

“That group project is giving me some problems,” you mused, crossing your arms over your chest. “I usually have trouble with them. I always feel like I’m going to be the weakest link, so I never really volunteer to do much. You know, so I don’t let anyone down? It’s a lot of me praying that someone else takes leadership and assigns everyone a specific role.”

Now you were just trying to make him feel bad, he was sure of it. However, that explanation didn’t really excuse you in his book. He cleared his throat and took a step closer. This conversation was about to get eerily similar to something he’d said a long time ago. This time, however, he would speak with a little more discretion. There was no need for him to be so aggressive with you than he had been that other time.

“Well, maybe you could ask for help. Isn’t that what a team is for?”

You brought a finger to your chin in thought. “I never thought about that. I always assumed that everyone else hated group work as much as I did, and didn’t want to be bothered. Unless it was really bad.” You placed your fingers back on the keys, pressing softly to play a few notes. “Maybe that’s why I like playing piano. Unless you’re in an orchestra, no one else has to depend on you to do well.”

Iwaizumi fixed his posture, feeling relieved by your words somehow. No, you really weren’t a bad person at all. Somewhere along the line, someone had skewed your perception of teamwork, and no one had bothered to try and fix that. Iwaizumi wasn’t about to let it slide. Not on his watch or when his grade depended on it.

“When you’re done with that,” he said over the music, pointing to the keyboard, “you’re welcome to sit with me. We can talk about your part of the assignment.”

And he certainly wasn’t going to let it slide when it meant he could spend time with a cute girl.


	4. Kuroo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These scenarios were originally posted on November 5, 2016 to our [tumblr](https://imagine-that-haikyuu.tumblr.com/post/152790114483/hi-can-i-ask-about-oikawa-ushijima-iwaizumi-and). Some edits have been made since then.
> 
> Writer: Rachel Lauren
> 
> Anonymous asked: Hi! Can I ask about Oikawa, Ushijima, Iwaizumi and Kuroo, who has a girl in a class who they don't really like (I don't know... because she is mean, or too smart for them, or just... don't like) and then they see her when she plays the piano and think that she is someone totally else that they think she is? I really like your blog! And Happy Birthday!

“Well, actually, Kuroo is wrong about that.”

He could have sworn that you had quietly muttered an additional “as per usual” under your breath and the Nekoma third-year leaned back in his seat.

This was standard fare during class discussions or debates: if he said anything at that could be disputed at all, you were always the first to pipe up with why he was incorrect. At some point, he started to do the same. Sometimes the back and forth between the two of you could get very heated. Every time the teacher would propose open discussion, she always did so with a moment of hesitation.

Such was the struggle between the top two students in the class always trying to inch ahead of the other by even the slightest margin.

When the school day wrapped up, he mulled over the class discussion again on his way to the club room. It wasn’t that Kuroo didn’t like to be challenged by someone else, but maybe if you had done so with more tact—anything that suggested you just wanted everyone to better understand the topic rather than wanting to make yourself look better—he would be more receptive.

Pleasant music interrupted his thoughts. He glanced into the music room as he passed by, stopping only because of the sight that caught his eye.

He swore he was watching the most beautiful girl at that very moment; the sun’s rays through the classroom window gave her hair a beautiful shine as her hands moved with such speed and intricacy along the keys of the piano in front of her. The girl’s gaze at her instrument was gentle, but her eyebrows were slightly knitted together as she concentrated on the rapidity of the piece.

Suddenly, she stopped, snapping her head in Kuroo’s direction and glaring at him with her chin in the air.

“What are you doing?” you asked flatly.

He cursed under his breath and looked off at the whiteboard in the front of the room, anything to not have to look you in the eye. Why did it have to be you? You had looked like someone else entirely while you were engrossed in the composition, someone with less of a bad attitude than you had been notorious for.

“Can’t a guy stop and admire some good music when he hears some?” Kuroo shot back. You rolled your eyes and returned your attention to the piano.

“I don’t think you were really admiring the music,” you commented, staring ahead with a fairly playful smile. “Actually, I think you were smitten with the beauty playing it.”

He groaned, face starting to redden. You just had to be so damn perceptive too, not mention a little full of yourself. If you had been any other girl, he might have been turned on by your cheeky comeback and would have tried to play along. Not to mention he was getting something out of the fact that his mere company irritated you. Payback, maybe, for all the times you tried to turn him into the class idiot. Kuroo put on a pleasant grin and leaned against the door frame.

You sighed, “Don’t you have volleyballs to go hit or something?”

“I’ve got time,” he said. “Keep playing. You can’t just stop in the middle like that.”

You narrowed your eyes at him, but there was something about your expression that suggested something other than annoyance. It was the way you let your shoulders fall, the downward cast of your gaze after you eyed him, and the faint pout on your lips that lead him to believe that you were more upset by something else than you were bothered by him.

“I would if I was any good at the next section,” you mumbled. You had hoped he didn’t catch your confession, but his raised eyebrows and even wider smiled suggested otherwise.

“What’s this? The incredibly intelligent (L/N), smarter than everyone else in the school, is having a lapse in confidence?” he asked.

“Um, yeah, a pretty big one.” This time your voice had been clear. Kuroo was taken aback by the speed at which you responded and the humility in your tone. He had been expecting a sharp comeback, maybe balled fists from you, but your dejected appearance and the slight tremble in your hands was not making this any bit enjoyable.

He clicked his tongue and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. Even if he had said it towards you, he knew that he had been rude for saying in in the first place. “Sorry. That was uncalled for.”

You shook your head, looking up at the ceiling with a forlorn air. “No, I definitely deserved it. I really do overcompensate for the things I’m bad at by being a jerk when it comes to the things I am good at.” Looking again to Kuroo, you gave him a half-hearted smile. “Sorry that you had to bear the brunt of it for so long.”

There was an awkward silence after that and Kuroo shifted anxiously in place. He never imagined coming to a moment like this with anyone, especially not you. All this time, he assumed you acted the way you did to come out superior, not because you had insecurities you were trying to hide. You could have been meeker when it came to those things, but he was seventeen too and just as prone to behaving with bouts immaturity. The fact that you were aware of what you were doing and apologizing for it too also renewed his faith.

You weren’t such a bad person after all.

Finally, you broke the silence. “You should probably head to practice now or else you’ll be late.”

He blinked once, slowly, humming in thought while his smile returned. “Not yet. I want to hear you play the rest.”


	5. Nishinoya

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These scenarios were originally posted on November 29, 2016 to our [tumblr](https://imagine-that-haikyuu.tumblr.com/post/153806186313/hey-hey-hey-that-request-you-did-with-the-piano). Some edits have been made since then.
> 
> Writer: Rachel Lauren
> 
> suppahnoviee asked: HEY HEY HEY!! That request you did with the piano girl thing was spot on!!👌🏼👌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼💯💯💯 if you have plans to continue it, please do!!! Can also do it with Nishinoya, Bokuto, Tendō, and Terushima pleaseee??!! THANK YOU(^з^)-☆‼️

Nishinoya considered himself a generally good person: while some would fault him as being too loud and easily irked, he fancied himself mostly dependable (just don’t think he’s that way when it comes to academic work). For example, today he had graciously accepted to go pick up his little cousin from her dance class on his way home from practice. It had been some time since he’d seen her, and he knew that she would be excited to see her favorite older cousin.

It would be a nice change from how a certain _someone_ he had class with would look at him every time he entered the room. Usually, he’d quickly forget about whenever you had stared at him suspiciously in class, but for some reason, he was hung up on the thought. He sat in the lobby of the dance studio, scowling at the very thought of you, failing to notice that the ballet class for five-year-olds had just let out.

“Ah, no way! It’s Yuu!” Nishinoya’s cousin’s delighted greeting snapped him from his irritation, wiped that angry pout right off of his face. He rose with a wide grin and she bounded over to him and into his arms. He laughed along with her and spun her around a few times.

“Missed me, huh? Mai?”

The woman at the desk shushed them and pointed to one of the classrooms.

“The big kids are still in class,” Mai whispered, placing a finger to her lips.

Even Nishinoya knew it was unusual for the door of these classes to be open. He also knew it probably wasn’t a great idea to peer inside, but admittedly there was something that had even entranced him about the piano music that came from within. He took care to place Mai back on her feet before taking her hand. It would only be a couple of seconds, just to see the source of the music.

He hadn’t even focused much on the dancers, but his eyes were immediately drawn to the girl at the piano. As if she could dance herself, she swayed along to the music her fingers produced. In a way, he was reminded of himself on the volleyball court: everyone waits for the cool spike, but they’re even more enthralled by an amazing save that connects the play to the next one. Everyone watches the dancers on a stage in awe, but they would have a hard time connecting without the music to bring it all together.

“Stop! Stop!” the teacher snapped. Most of her students eyed the piano player warily as she rose, making her way over to the piano player. “You. What’s your name again? (L/N)?”

Nishinoya blinked in surprise. It had to be a coincidence, but now that the woman mentioned it, he was certain that it was you. He hadn’t even recognized you!

The teacher didn’t bother waiting for your response. She tapped her finger to the sheet music in front of you vigorously. “What notes are these in these measures?” she asked coldly. You leaned forward, eyes narrowing at the page. Nishinoya instantly recognized that look, and felt something heavy in the pit of his stomach.

“Um, they’re…” you started. “I-I can’t read them.”

“You’re only here because or normal musician is sick today. Don’t get cocky, especially if you can’t read something simple as—”

“I mean that I can’t see it,” you cut in, shrinking the moment the words left your mouth. Students in the class murmured in shock that someone had the audacity to talk back to their instructor. Mai tugged on Nishinoya’s hand.

“Yuu, what are you doing? Do you know someone in there?”

He ignored her questions, keeping his gaze locked on you. All those harsh glares had been mis-categorized: they hadn’t been filled with malice like he though; you were trying to see better. Why a visually impaired sixteen-year-old was going around without glasses or contact lenses was beyond him—and probably none of his business anyway—but if he hadn’t been holding onto his cousin’s hand, he would have marched right in and told the lady off himself.

The teacher dismissed her class with a harsh glance your way. Nishinoya withdrew from the door at the teacher’s cold instructions, Mai in tow. She looked up at him, cocking her head at his unusually calm demeanor. She had always known her cousin to be bursting with enthusiasm, and seeing him so quiet was cause for concern.

“Are we going home now?” she asked innocently. He smiled down at her as he normally did, the door sliding open to let them out of the building.

“Yup!”

“Did you know one of the big kids, Yuu?”

He knew that she was only talking about the dancers, and not you, but he answered her in the affirmative. Mai then began happily chatting with him about her day, only interrupted by someone walking briskly past her.

Even with your head down as you hurried along, Nishinoya recognized you and called out to you. You stopped in your tracks at the sound of his voice. Turning, you were already squinting, trying to make out the face of the person that stood before you. Unlike the other times you had made this face at him, Nishinoya responded by approaching you, grinning widely.

“Oh, it’s Nishinoya,” you said. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“(L/N), I heard you play inside. You’re really good!” he praised. Your eyes widened momentarily, your gaze soon falling to the sidewalk.

“Oh, thanks.” You wished you could have sounded more sincere, but having someone who knew music berate your playing did more damage to your ego than someone who didn’t know much complimenting you.

“Don’t let that nasty teacher get you down! I couldn’t even imagine trying to get on the court if I couldn’t see well,” he added. You felt the earnestness of his words, and found yourself smiling despite your woes.

You wanted to stay and talk to him some more, —you had always wanted an excuse to talk to him but never found the right moment—but his cousin tugged at his hand and whined about getting hungry. He waved you off and headed down the street, making the right where you would have made the left to head home.

“Oh, and (L/N)!” he called out. They were a good distance away from you, but his voice rang out loud enough. “I’ll talk to you in class tomorrow!”

Cupping your hands over your beaming mouth, you raised your voice. “You better!”


	6. Bokuto

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These scenarios were originally posted on November 29, 2016 to our [tumblr](https://imagine-that-haikyuu.tumblr.com/post/153806186313/hey-hey-hey-that-request-you-did-with-the-piano). Some edits have been made since then.
> 
> Writer: Rachel Lauren
> 
> suppahnoviee asked: HEY HEY HEY!! That request you did with the piano girl thing was spot on!!👌🏼👌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼💯💯💯 if you have plans to continue it, please do!!! Can also do it with Nishinoya, Bokuto, Tendō, and Terushima pleaseee??!! THANK YOU(^з^)-☆‼️

Bokuto Koutarou knew that he wasn’t the most popular guy at Fukurodani. He understood that he was liked enough; despite his generally poor academic performance and somewhat excitable personality, he did have a knack for providing positive energy to everyone around him. His peers appreciated that much, especially when it came to being the school’s volleyball star, and especially when he was owning the court. But he just couldn’t figure out what made _you_ so averse to him.

While other students at Fukurodani had been eager to cheer for their team whenever they were in arm’s reach of heading to Nationals, you had been adamant about not attending, citing the captain as the reason you refused.

He tried to recall if there was ever a time that he had been rude to you without realizing, or if maybe he had said or done something that could be misconstrued as such. Bokuto even approached his teammates, his classmates, anyone at school who might have a clue as to why you were so turned-off by his presence. No one could provide an answer for him, and now he was certain that it was possible that you weren’t a very nice person. Even his peers who found ways to nitpick him always came to support the team. If you weren’t even capable of doing such, then he had no reason to believe you cared about others.

“I don’t see why you’re so hung up on (L/N) not wanting to come watch us play,” Akaashi addressed after Bokuto had asked him about you again. “The rest of the school usually attends, so I don’t see why one person would make a difference. Perhaps, she’s busy on those days.”

Bokuto groaned, crossing his arms. “If that were the case, then I could understand, but everyone says she won’t come because of me. I don’t think I’ve ever done anything to her to make her feel that way.”

Akaashi brought his water bottle to his lips and took a sip, seemingly contemplating something. Bokuto furrowed his brows together, waiting for his underclassman’s response. Finally, Akaashi said, “I hope you understand that not everyone you meet’s going to get along with you or like you. Some people just aren’t meant to be friends.”

Bokuto was hardly satisfied with this answer, but their short break from practice was up and they had to return to the court. Qualifiers for Nationals was around the corner and he needed to focus on that. However, it seemed that whenever he wasn’t practicing, his mind was immediately pulled back to his frustration with you.

Grumbling to himself on his way back from the restroom during lunch one afternoon, he stopped in front of the music room. Soft sounds from a piano spilled out into the hallway, unusual for this time of day. He glanced inside, barely taking notice of the student seated in front of the instrument. In fact, he did a double-take because he was sure this was someone he’d never seen around before.

The music stopped abruptly and the student turned to face him. It was _you_ of all people! He hadn’t recognized you by your profile as you played. He felt a scowl coming on, but the sight of you wide-eyed and blushing was certainly not the reaction he was expecting from your end. You brought your hands to your reddened cheeks and turned away from him, appearing more distressed than bitter.

“Oh, I can’t believe _you_ heard that!” you cried. “This is so embarrassing. I’m still working out some parts and they sound terrible. Please pretend that you didn’t hear me playing!”

That scowl he predicted from before never made its way to his face. Instead, Bokuto stared at you, stumped at what you were muttering.

“Um, sure?” he agreed with an uneasy tone. You let out a sigh of relief and smiled at him. Rising from the bench, you approached the volleyball captain with a look of total determination.

“And you absolutely cannot tell the school band! Especially not that _you_ heard it,” you added. Holding out your pinky, you stared him straight in the eyes. When he didn’t bring his pinky to yours in a promise, you nudged yours towards him again. Now, he was certainly confused.

“You know you’re really not making any sense,” he said. “So what if someone heard you playing? And why would the band be mad if they found out that I heard it? You just happened to be playing the piano when someone you disliked walked by and started listening. It’s not a big deal.”

You dropped your hand to your side, returning his perplexed appearance. “I’m not sure what you mean about ‘someone you dislike’ but this was supposed to be a surprise. The school band asked me to compose an original piece for them to play in the stands: a new Fukurodani fight song, so to speak. We wanted to debut it when the Spring High tournament started.”

Bokuto eyed you suspiciously, crossing his arms over his chest. Between your earnest tone and his inability to see why you would go so far as to make something like this up, he was utterly vexed trying to understand everything, trying to understand _you_. This whole situation was trickier than any math test he’d ever bombed.

“I’m completely stumped, (L/N),” he sighed. “There’s no reason for you lie about anything, but why would you do all this when you won’t even come watch us play, especially not me?”

You lowered your gaze, letting out a meek laugh. “It’s stupid, but I can’t go to sports events anymore. You see, I’m kind of a human bad luck charm. Every time I’d go to watch friends compete, they always ended up getting really hurt, sometimes they wouldn’t be able to play or compete again for weeks.” You turned back towards the piano, approaching it cautiously and taking to the bench again. “I felt awful whenever I was asked to cheer you guys on and refused, but it’s for the best. Think about it. If I had gone and someone—especially you, their ace and captain—got injured, it wouldn’t just lower team morale, but school morale!”

Suddenly, everything made sense. _“I can’t go because of Bokuto”_ wasn’t a declaration of disdain, but of concern. He knew he could be dense, but he never felt this silly about misjudging someone. For the first time in a while, Bokuto had been rendered speechless and he looked to you with a new-found appreciation.

Your sheepish disposition was now replaced with a smile. You picked up the sheet music and headed to the door again. “This is how I’ll get to be there in spirit, though. So, Bokuto, please do think of me when you hear it finished. You can pretend I’m right there cheering you on when the band starts it.”

The bell chimes signaling the end of lunch sounded and you bowed to him before marching off. Bokuto watched you until you turned into a classroom, stunned at everything that had just unfolded. Even though he had always vowed to bring his team to Nationals again and his desire to play volleyball until he couldn’t play anymore never wavered in recent memory, he felt a new flame ignite somewhere inside him.

Despite lack of audience in the hallway, he declared, “That first point’s gonna be for you, (L/N).”


	7. Tendou

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These scenarios were originally posted on November 29, 2016 to our [tumblr](https://imagine-that-haikyuu.tumblr.com/post/153806186313/hey-hey-hey-that-request-you-did-with-the-piano). Some edits have been made since then.
> 
> Writer: Rachel Lauren
> 
> suppahnoviee asked: HEY HEY HEY!! That request you did with the piano girl thing was spot on!!👌🏼👌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼💯💯💯 if you have plans to continue it, please do!!! Can also do it with Nishinoya, Bokuto, Tendō, and Terushima pleaseee??!! THANK YOU(^з^)-☆‼️

“Hey, you’re late.”

Tendou stared down at his third-year teammates from his spot at the door. The lights in the dorm lounge were off, but their faces were illuminated from the glow of the TV screen in front of them. They had started the movie without him, popcorn popped and all, but that was the last thing on his mind.

“I think I’m in love,” he stated. With his shoulders dropped and eyes widened as he said this, he could only hope that his sentiment came across honestly to the four in front of him.

His friends looked to one another; Semi and Yamagata–who were seated on the floor–let out hearty laughs at his unusual outburst. Ushijima, seated to one side of Reon on the couch, only stared at Tendou, eyebrows marginally raised in surprise.

“This is pretty sudden,” Reon said with a smile. He patted the empty spot next to him and Tendou complied. The redhead dropped dramatically into the seat. “I’m surprised you haven’t mentioned this person yet.”

“That’s because I just saw her for the first time,” Tendou explained, grinning all the while. “I was on my way here and happened to pass by the music building. There’s always someone rehearsing in there, but I only got a glimpse of her through the window as I passed, but it was enough to make me stop and listen to her play for a while.”

He let out a noise not unlike a wistful sigh and hugged himself. “Man, what a _siren_! Enchanting men with her piano playing like that. I wish I knew who she was.”

“I thought sirens sang, not played piano,” Semi commented, turning to take a handful of popcorn. “Don’t they kill people?”

“Yeah, and they’re butt-ugly too,” Yamagata added with a snicker.

Tendou clicked his tongue and wagged a finger in their direction. He continued practically singing the words, “You know what I meant. And I assure you she was very beautiful, easily the most beautiful girl on campus.”

“Well, if this girl is as gorgeous as you claim she is and she’s also musically talented, then it’s probably (L/N) from 3-3,” Semi said. Tendou scoffed at this guess and leaned back in the couch with his arms crossed.

“Impossible. I would know if it was (L/N) when I saw her and it wasn’t her. She’s definitely not my type, Tendou scoffed. He leaned forward, turning towards Ushijima. “Wakatoshi can attest to that since they’re in the same class! (L/N)’s pretty face can be deceiving but she’s got a bad personality, right?”

They all looked to Ushijima, who offered a simple shrug. “I don’t pay her much mind, but she’s never been rude to anyone as far as I’m aware.”

Tendou frowned at his friend’s words. They were only thinking about third-years when this mystery girl could have very well been a second or first-year student. Just as long as she wasn’t (L/N), then he wouldn’t care what class she was in. There was only one way to find out: he would have to take a trip to the music building and find out which student was scheduled to practice in that classroom during that time. He found himself meandering the hallways of the music building around the same time the next day. Before checking the placard with scheduled rehearsal times next to each empty classroom, he made sure that the window he had passed outside was the same one he was peering out.

When he was certain he found the right classroom, Tendou stepped back out into the hallway and scanned the practice schedule mounted next to the door. His eyebrow twitched at the sight of your name centered right in the block of time he had passed. He wondered if it had been just a fluke, that some other girl was practicing at that time the day before, but you were scheduled for the same block of time every day.

“Is there something I can help you with?”

The question startled Tendou from his thoughts. Sure enough, you were there when he turned, head cocked to one side and one hand placed on your hip. If you had been any other girl, he would have been irrefutably charmed.

“It’s nothing,” he answered flatly. Without saying anything else, he intended to walk past you and chalk this up to another of Cupid’s failures, but your inquisitive look stopped him in his tracks.

“You look familiar…” you said. After a pensive hum, you snapped your fingers and pointed to him with the same hand. “You’re on the volleyball team! Tendou, right? I’ve definitely seen you play before.” Your face brightened at this realization, but faded in only a matter of seconds. “But I feel like I know you from somewhere else.”

While you were having trouble remembering, Tendou recalled that situation with absolute clarity. It was that time that he had been picked on by the neighborhood kids as a child, your brother among them. They wouldn’t let them be on their volleyball team. You had been there, too, sitting off on the side of the gymnasium and watching it all happen without a word. He had hoped someone would have come to his defense and you had let him down.

“Oh, I remember now! We played together some times as kids.” Your face lit up once more at the realization. Nodding to yourself, you continued. “Yeah, there was that one time when some of us wanted to play volleyball, but my brother and his friends wouldn’t let me because I’m a girl. But you—” you pointed to him again with a smile suggesting some sort of dark satisfaction—“kept blocking my brother and his stupid friends and finally shut them up.”

You entered the classroom unaware of Tendou’s watchful eyes following your figure.

“It should have registered somewhere in me that you were that the Tendou I was watching play only a few weeks ago was the same Tendou I used to play with as a kid. It’s been so long since then,” you laughed. You set you things down next to the piano and turned back to him. “It’s kind of dumb, but those guys kept getting mad at me because I wouldn’t stop calling you my hero for a good while after you totally annihilated them.”

Beautiful girl? Check. Talented in some aspect? Check. Part of his childhood? Check. Idolized him? CHECK.

Tendou was not opposed to getting on his knees at the very moment in that spot and shouting a tearful praise to the sky and thanking Cupid for proving him very, very wrong. Internally, he did just that, but externally, he chose to remain blissfully surprised by this turn of events. As you sat down, you beckoned him to join you for a little while. You didn’t feel like practicing all too much anyway, and it was clear the two of you had some catching up to do.


	8. Terushima

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These scenarios were originally posted on November 29, 2016 to our [tumblr](https://imagine-that-haikyuu.tumblr.com/post/153806186313/hey-hey-hey-that-request-you-did-with-the-piano). Some edits have been made since then.
> 
> Writer: Rachel Lauren
> 
> suppahnoviee asked: HEY HEY HEY!! That request you did with the piano girl thing was spot on!!👌🏼👌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼💯💯💯 if you have plans to continue it, please do!!! Can also do it with Nishinoya, Bokuto, Tendō, and Terushima pleaseee??!! THANK YOU(^з^)-☆‼️

He yawned a couple of times during your introduction. Going by appearances alone, you had been promising—cute face, bright smile, hair tied back but loose enough to suggest a bit of a carefree side—but once you opened your mouth, Terushima found little interesting about you. He had gotten his hopes up about you as the new transfer girl, planned to try and get your number by your first day’s end even.

But really? Piano? How lame.

Terushima glanced your way a few times during class, searching for anything that you did or owned that could redeem you. Nothing quirky stood out to him: no exciting pencil cases or charm on your book bag, no amusing doodles in the margins of your notes, no bad habits that evoked any sense of quirkiness from you. You were pretty enough, but plain.

Another yawn escaping his lips, he proceeded down the hallway at the end of the school day. His friends didn’t seem to care much that you didn’t meet his expectations when they had spoken about you during their breaks. “So that means I can go for her then?” one had said with a laugh. It didn’t matter much to Terushima what kinds of girls his friends went for; _he_ wouldn’t settle for just eye candy, though.

He passed by the music room, where the sounds of a classic rock ‘n roll song reverberated out into the hall. It was probably one of the student rock bands jamming out. They were playing an oldie, but a goodie, and even Terushima couldn’t help but shoot a quick glance inside. He recognized most of the students playing, but the girl whipping her hair as she played a furiously difficult solo was new as far as he was aware.

Now that was the kind of girl he could see himself with. Someone with a sense of adventure, a bit (or even a lot) of a wild side to her.

He was so wrapped up in his thoughts as he continued along, he barely noticed the song had concluded.

“Sorry. I really got into that one,” you apologized, but it was clear there was some amusement in your tone.

“(L/N)! That was amazing! You have to join us!” one of the other students exclaimed. “We’ve been looking for a keyboardist, but no one has had the same flare you do when you play.”

Terushima stopped dead in his tracks and backed up towards the door he had just passed. There was no way it was the same ordinary (L/N) that just transferred to Johzenji. Sure enough, you pushed your hair out of your face and tied it back up and he was certain he was looking at the face of the girl who he had, only hours prior, written off as dull. Even with the band members chatting you up, you caught Terushima’s eyes from out in the hallway.

“What’s up, undercut?” you asked. 

If he had been any other guy, he might have been offended by the nickname—even more so because you were now classmates—but this was what he wanted. He liked that you had an edge. Terushima finally felt like smiling at the thought of you.

There was still enough time to get your number before one of his buddies did.


End file.
